Get A Handle Of Your Ladder With This Tip

The Super Handyman

by Al Carrell and Kelly Carrell

Always be careful when climbing ladders. Tool belts are great because they hold your tools, and you can have both hands free for holding the ladder rails. You easily can add a handle to your ladder if you feel like you need it. It’s super easy. You can use a screen-door handle. Just install it with screws or nuts and bolts if you want. You can install a couple of them if you’d like. Make sure you place them where they will be easy to use and in such a way that they’ll still allow the ladder to fold up for storage. It can make carrying it easier, too.

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Dear Carrells: We finally replaced the vent that was in our bathroom with one that is much stronger and quieter. It works great. I installed one vent in the laundry room as well. I didn’t have to worry about the noise in there, and we’ve always needed to vent that room because of the extra humidity that builds up there. Both vents are working great, and are keeping our home less humid and more comfortable. – T.S.

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A SUPER HINT – Enlarging plans for a new project isn’t hard ... as long as you get someone else to do it for you. Just take your plans, sketches or drawings to a print shop, and they will blow them up and print them out for you in just a few minutes for a couple of bucks.

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Dear Al: We used to use our deep-freezer for meat, but my husband doesn’t hunt much anymore. We were going to sell it, but after turning it off and cleaning it, it was really smelly. I tried more cleaning and put a bag of charcoal in it and closed it up. The charcoal seems to have absorbed the bad smells, and it looks brand-new again. I think it should bring a good price, and I’ll actually miss it. – N.M.

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Q: We had a workman add new lattice panels to our patio for extra decoration. I think they would look better if they were painted. What type of paint should we use, and what’s going to be the best way to apply it? – J.D.

A: You can apply a stain or paint. Spraying on the finish would be the easiest way to apply it. If you go with paint, use a primer first to help it last longer. You may have to do a couple of coats of stain and use an exterior stain that is waterproof and UV-resistant.

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Dear Kelly: I put up a new ceiling fan in my sunroom. Finally, I can have some cool air in the summer. I didn’t like the plain wooden blades, so I took them down and covered them with wallpaper. I used wallpaper adhesive and a simple pattern that I thought would look good. It’s very unique-looking, and I can’t wait to show it off to my friends. – P.I.

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SHOPTALK -- Winter can be a great time to pull weeds. In many cases, you can see them a lot more easily when the grass is dormant. We found the UpRoot Weed and Root remover, and it’s a great tool for pulling weeds. It’s actually a lot of fun. The long handle means you don’t have to bend over to use it. At the tip end, there are four serrated, stainless-steel claws that grab the weed by the roots. A special easyeject mechanism right on the handle drops the weed off to the side after it’s pulled out of the ground. There’s even a foot bar, located near the blade, to help you get down into clay or rocky soils. It’s super-strong and made to last, and it carries the Fiskars Lifetime warranty. This tool is worth its weight in gold and, for those who don’t like to use chemicals in their yard, it’s a wonderful way to clean up the yard now and all year ‘round. To find out more, visit www.fiskars.com.

Got a question or a handy tip? Visit our website at: www.thesuperhandyman.com. Those of general interest will be used in future columns.